Candidates Address Finances, Jobs and Flooding at Second Forum

Fiscal issues and employment were discussed at length during a candidates forum Thursday night.

The forum was the second one held at Wayne Valley High School. The event was supposed to be held at the municipal complex and broadcast live on television, but the venue had to be changed due to a scheduling conflict with the board of education. The League of Women Voters (LWV) sponsored the forum.

Michael “Mickey” Bradley and incumbent Joseph Scuralli are running to represent the 4th Ward. Issam “Sam” Mirza and Nadine Bello are running to represent the 6th Ward. Suzanne Pudup and incumbent James Jimenez are running for an at-large term. Jimenez was appointed to replace Lawrence Maron in July. Maron was appointed to a superior court judgeship.

Incumbent Democrat Chris McIntyre is running unopposed to represent the 5th Ward again. All terms are for four years.

McIntrye and Bello did not attend the forum.

Pudup and Mirza said if elected they would vote against increasing taxes.

Scuralli agreed.

“I don’t believe you can afford to pay more taxes,” Scuralli said. “I never voted to raise your taxes once. I think you deserve the life in Wayne you moved here for.”

Bradley said that town government must be streamlined and that officials need to “think outside of the box” on how to get more tax ratables into town.

Pudup said she would go back to “square one and not start from a budget that’s already there.”

Candidates were asked what their spending priorities would be for future town budgets.

Bradley said he would work to maintain the town’s infrastructure, try to delay replacing retiring town employees, and implement a tiered retirement plan.

Bringing more jobs and businesses to Wayne is a priority for all the candidates. Jimenez said the town needs to be more “business friendly.”

Mirza said that he is “determined” to create jobs.

Scuralli said rezoning parts of the township is part of the process.

Bradley said officials need to re-examine creating a new town center and give businesses tax incentives to open locations in the Wayne Hills Mall.

Bradley, Mirzz, and Jimenez said taxes are the number one issue in Wayne. Scuralli said bringing back people’s property values is; Pudup said jobs are.

Some residents criticized local officials about their response to flooding this year, specifically about not having a shelter available for residents to use when Hurricane Irene first struck the town. The Red Cross usually assists the town in setting up a shelter, but couldn’t this year due to the severity of the storm.

Scuralli defended local officials' actions. He said the township spent $1.5 million on flood relief and clean-up efforts.

“This time, the Red Cross left us high and dry and, unfortunately, we were not ready for them to pull out on us at the last minute,” Scuralli said.  

Bradley said that the town “truly failed” in its response to the flooding.

“When mothers and children sleep in cars and supermarkets because no shelter and no food and water are given to them, it’s abominable," Bradley said.

Bradley, an inspector with the Bergen County Sheriff’s Office, said if he is elected, multiple emergency contingency plans would be available to be implemented during the next flood event.

Although Bello did not attend the meeting, an LWV moderator read a statement Bello wrote.

“I continually stay involved in our township because of the intense interest I share with you in the quality of life [Wayne] provides for our families,” the statement read.

In the statement, Bello said she is an avid supporter of proposals regulating land use, which help protect neighborhood character and contain overdevelopment.

“As your councilwoman I feel an important part of my job is not just the major issues, but those everyday issues occurring in the life of my neighbors,” the statement read. “It is often said that it is the little things in life that count and I want to continue to take care of these issues before they become big problems.”